• The number of counties infested with desert locusts now has reduced from 28 to four: Turkana, Marsabit, Samburu and Isiolo.
• Turkana South is the worst hit, followed by Turkana West, Turkana Central and Loima subcounties.
The government has intensified control of desert locusts in Turkana county following sightings of new swarms last month.
The Food and Agriculture Organisation representative to Kenya Tobias Takavarasha said increased hatching had been reported in numerous parts of the county and control measures intensified.
“Turkana is now the epicentre of desert locust control measures, with the highest number of hopper band sites reported. The number of counties infested with desert locusts now has reduced from 28 to the four counties of Turkana, Marsabit, Samburu and Isiolo,” Takavarasha said.
He spoke in Lodwar while flagging off spraying and surveillance vehicles. He said FAO had intensified desert locust control measures in Turkana county by issuing six surveillance vehicles, three pickups mounted with sprayers, one helicopter, two spray airplanes and one fixed wing aircraft for the Kenya-Uganda border surveillance.
Takavarasha said this was in response to the reported sightings of mature copulating swarms last month, which have resulted to the current 200 hopper bands sites in pasture and farmlands and urban centres.
He said Turkana South was the worst hit, followed by Turkana West, Turkana Central and Loima subcounties.
“FAO is taking a regional approach to desert locusts control response, and it is important for Turkana to intensify control measures to ensure that the desert locusts do not mature and continue to compound the threat to Kenya’s and East Africa’s food security,” Takavarasha said.
In May, FAO enlisted the Kenya Red Cross to conduct an assessment on the impact of desert locusts and control measures on the environmental, crops, livestock and livelihoods in 16 counties.
They are Mandera, Wajir, Garissa, Tana river, Isiolo, Samburu, Likipia, Tharaka Nithi, Embu, Meru, Machakos, Kitui, Marsabit, Turkana, Baringo and Elgeyo Marakwet.
Turkana Deputy Governor Peter Lotethiro said the additional support had arrived at a very crucial time. He urged the community to collaborate and share any sightings of desert locusts so that the teams are dispatched quickly to the site.
“In addition to the logistical support we have received from FAO, 200 National Youth Servicemen are on their way to Turkana. A hundred will be in Lokichar, Turkana South, and another 100 in Lodwar to be sent to sites in Loima and Turkana central,” said Turkana Desert Locust Control base manager Stanley Kipkoech.
Takavarasha said 3.1 million people in arid and semi-arid areas of the country were food insecure and increased breeding of desert locusts, coupled with the current flooding as well as the Covid-19 pandemic, posed a wider risk of food and pasture shortage.
“Regionally, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Uganda host 25.3 million people facing high levels of acute food insecurity, which is 28% of the case-load of Africa. Of these, more than 11 million people in Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia are located in areas currently affected by the desert locust infestations. Despite the Covid-19 pandemic and the current floods, desert locust surveillance and control measures continue in earnest,” he said.
Edited by Henry Makori